...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR GILA NATIONALFOREST ON TUESDAY...

.STRONGER FLOW ALOFT OVER THE FOUR CORNERS WILL INDUCE A LEE SURFACE LOW CENTERED OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO AND A TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN NEW MEXICO ON TUESDAY. WINDS INCREASING OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS, SUSTAINED AT 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH. WIND WILL BE STRONGEST OVER MOUNTAIN RIDGES AND HIGH ELEVATIONS. FURTHER DRYING WILL ALLOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY TO FALL TO 10 TO 15% ON TUESDAY AND THEN 5 TO 10% WEDNESDAY THURSDAY. RECENT DRYNESS HAS PUSHED FUEL MOISTURE VERY LOW, WITH ERCS AT THE 90TH PERCENTILE DRYNESS AND NEAR SEASONAL PEAKS. ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SPREAD QUICKLY.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 110 SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS GILA NF APACHE NF GLZ.

* TIMING...TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 16 TO 22 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 10 PERCENT.

* EXPERIMENTAL RFTI...3 TO 4, OR NEAR CRITICAL.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.